1. Technical Field
This invention relates to air-flow enhancing devices and, more particularly, to a user-operated air-flow enhancing device for enhancing heat distribution from an existing baseboard radiator and the like to provide users with a more comfortable and fuel efficient means of heating their homes and officer.
2. Prior Art
It is often necessary, especially during the fall and winter months, to create artificial heat within a home or office building so that persons can comfortably live or perform work related tasks therein. This practice dates as far back as man has been around to the time when cavemen would build fires to generate heat within their caves. For centuries fire was the main source of heat for all homes. The discovery of fuel oil and electricity changed this drastically. Various inventions enabled the consumer to heat their home or office with many types of radiators using steam, hot air, hot water, electricity, etc. Unfortunately, all of these have problems. They are inefficient and unless there is a thermostat in every room, the rooms receive unequal heat. There are also the problems of drafts around the windows and doors and radiators behind furniture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,917,699 to Hung discloses a heat-radiating device which includes a heat-radiator and a heat conductive rod for contacting with a heat source. The heat-radiator is composed of a heat conductive pipe body integrally formed by extrusion, a heat conductive column co-axially extending in the heat conductive pipe body and multiple heat-radiating vanes radially arranged between an outer periphery of the heat conductive column and an inner periphery of the heat conductive pipe body. The heat conductive rod is connected with the heat conductive column, whereby the column absorbs the heat conducted by the heat conductive rod from the heat source and the heat is spread from the center of the heat conductive column. The distance is shortest so that the heat can be quickly and evenly conducted to the respective vanes and the heat conductive pipe body and then quickly dissipated due to natural convection of air or forced convection by a fan. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed for specifically saving energy and lowering energy costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,268 to Vitale discloses a portable forced air unit having a housing provided with an air driving element arranged between an air inlet and an air outlet. Such an air outlet feeds the forced air beneath a fixed room heat exchanger e.g. baseboard or convector heater with which the unit is designed to operate. Thermostats, responsive to the temperature of the room in which the unit is operating and the temperature of the heat exchanger, serve to control the air driving element. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not accentuate the benefits of any radiator, making living and working conditions more comfortable and constant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,018 to Toner discloses a heat circulation apparatus which includes a housing that has a perimeter wall for defining an interior space. The interior space includes an intake port and an exhaust port. The housing is designed for positioning under the steam radiator. A fan member is rotatably coupled to the housing such that the fan member is positioned in the interior space of the housing. The fan member is for drawing air through the intake port into the interior space of the housing and forcing air out of the interior space of the housing through the exhaust port. The fan member is designed for drawing cooler air into the housing and forcing the air out of the housing to be warmed by the steam radiator when the fan member is rotated with respect to the housing. Unfortunately, this prior art example is not designed to direct the flow of air behind furniture and under windows.
These prior art examples, and various other inventions, enabled the consumer to heat their home or office with many types of radiators using steam, hot air, hot water, electricity, etc. Unfortunately, all of these prior art examples have problems. They are inefficient, and unless there is a thermostat in every room, the rooms receive unequal heat. There are also the problems of drafts around the windows and doors, and radiators behind furniture may provide inadequate heat distribution.
Accordingly, the present invention is disclosed in order to overcome the above noted shortcomings. The air-flow regulating device is convenient and easy to use, lightweight yet durable in design, and designed for enhancing heat distribution from an existing baseboard radiator. The device is simple to use, inexpensive, and designed for many years of repeated use, making living and working conditions more comfortable and affordable.